Seasonal Tastes: October - Spicy Honey Mustard Brussels Sprouts

I may make brussels sprouts all year long, but now is when they're really in their prime.  So for now, let's forget how I very simply roast them just about once a week and do something a little different so we can celebrate the moment they're having this month.

This recipe is really no more difficult than a normal olive oil/everyday seasoning roast.  I used this recipe for spicy honey mustard brussels sprouts and loved how they came out.  I'm not afraid of spice so I was liberal with the crushed red pepper and really liked how even my spicier version still left room for the sweet honey to shine through.  This sauce would be great for chicken wings in case anyone is already thinking about Super Bowl food.

The other good thing about this sauce is that you don't have to follow the recipe exactly.  I didn't feel like getting out my measuring spoons so I just filled up a soup spoon til it looked like enough honey or mustard.  I eyeballed the olive oil and have no idea how many sprouts I used.  I picked them up from a farmers' market so it's not like I could buy two packages as the recipe instructs.  I did, however, get one package of the cutest little baby brussels sprouts.  They were a little more expensive than their large brothers, but they were too adorable to pass up.

Snickity Snack: Fish in a Stream

Food Network Magazine had a mini "Family and Kids" mag in the back of a recent issue.  In this section, they reinvented ants on a log, the classic after school snack of celery sticks filled with peanut butter and topped with raisins.  I'm pretty sure this article was all about sneaking veggies into your kid's diet but since I'm basically a kid myself, I thought it was great.  Also, raisins are not my fave so I was happy to see this fun and healthy snack re-vamped with flavors I enjoy.

For book club, I prepared the "fish in a stream" version, which consisted of celery sticks filled with hummus and topped with pretzel goldfish.  They were devoured in minutes.  It makes sense: you dip pretzels in hummus and you dip celery in hummus.  Just because you rarely see the three ingredients partying together doesn't mean they can't all get along.

Fruit and Yogurt Dip

When it came to cooking for my last book club meeting, I just wasn't havin it.  Oddly enough, I wasn't even that busy; I just didn't want to tie myself down to preparing a specific travel-well recipe for a group.  My solution was to open up one of my "easy" cookbooks.  Every recipe in this cookbook is easy, but at the beginning of each section, they give a list of extra easy "recipes".  These are the ones that basically require zero effort but can sneakily make your meal more impressive.  It was here that I found fruit with yogurt dip.

All you do is add honey, nutmeg, and cinnamon to vanilla yogurt.  Stir it together and serve with fruit (I used pineapple and cantaloupe).  I used the 0% Tahitian vanilla Greek yogurt from Trader Joes so not only was this dip good, it was healthy.  And it was good.  One of the girls said it tasted "just like fall," which is a yay! for me (pat on the back) but a wah :( for the reminder that cold weather is approaching.  Fruit plates, like crudité platters, are the go-to buffet staple when you want to add something healthy to your spread.  But plain fruit plates are boring.  Adding this yogurt is not.

The picture is capital T terrible because there were no lights on the roof where we were holding book club.  Sorry bout that.

before mixing in the honey

Rice with Mushrooms and Onions

This side dish is basically cheating it's so easy.  Cook some rice (I use a rice cooker because it's easier than easy, but an old fashioned pot is totes fine) and while there's about 10 minutes left, sauté mushrooms and onions in butter with salt and pepper.  Or if you're using a rice cooker, it just chills on the warmer setting so you just start sautéing whenever you feel like it.  Tip: add some extra butter at the end and let it start melting just before you combine the mushrooms and onions with the rice.  This way, you'll have a nice butter coating on the rice.  Everything should have a butter coating.  I should have a butter coating.

Here's the kicker: use canned mushrooms.  You don't have to wash em.  You don't have to chop em.  It's just so easy.  No, they don't taste like fresh mushrooms...they almost taste like a different type of food altogether.  But every once in a while I kind of prefer it.  Sort of like how I sometimes prefer a McDonald's cheeseburger over a fancy big bistro burger.  The heart wants what it wants.  Perhaps I like this different flavor because it's what I grew up with since this was a go-to side dish for my Mom.  In fact, when I texted my Mom to make sure that was really all I needed in the way of ingredients, she responded that she was actually making it that night as well.  Like mother, like daughter.      

Seasonal Tastes: September 2014 - Roasted Mushroom Salad

September is the official start of fall and while most people excite in the change of seasons because it signifies a change in wardrobe, I like the transition to fall because it means new ingredients.  One thing that's in season in September is arugula.  Arugula is a lettuce, which usually means "salad base".  That's still the case here, but if you fill up the salad with a ton of different ingredients, the arugula will get lost.  That's why this salad is pretty much just two ingredients: arugula and mushrooms.

Arugula has a strong pepper flavor which can be a bit overbearing for me at times.  That's why you can't just use any old mushroom here.  It's gotta be a beefy cremini.  They're small enough to pan roast whole but have tons of flavor, especially when they're combined with a bunch of garlic and olive oil - enough to dress the salad when it's all tossed together.

Quinoa with Nectarine and Basil

I had not had a single nectarine all summer and they were calling my name in the grocery store, looking all big, juicy, and summery.  But for some reason I knew that even if purchased with the best of intentions I would never end up sitting on my couch, eating the nectarine all on its own as a snack.  Incorporating the nectarine into a recipe would need to be the way to go for me and since this one required little effort, it was the winner.  It wasn't until I started cooking that I realized I was out of couscous so I substituted quinoa.  Guess what?  I think I made it better.  Take that, fancy magazine recipe makers!

The sweet flavor of the nectarine and orange juice is unexpected in a side dish.  It's citrus, though, which is a different kind of sweet so it doesn't feel out of place at suppertime.  I think because the flavors of the citrus and stone fruit are light and bright it helped to use quinoa, which is not as starchy [aka heavy] as the pearled couscous.  This one is great at room temp and since there's no dairy/mayo, it will keep all day so I would recommend it as a picnic/potluck dish.

Tomato Toast with Garlic Basil Cream Cheese

In the summertime I find myself dreaming about caprese salad literally every week.  I can't get enough.  Summer is when tomatoes are at their best and the simple salad is a perfect way to show off how delicious they can be.  Because I can't eat a caprese every week (I mean I could...I shouldn't) I was hoping to find other ways to highlight how great a fresh summer tomato is.  Simplicity is best in these situations because the point is to showcase, not distract.  This recipe for tomato toast with garlic basil cream cheese is a great way to get some fresh 'maters in your belly and to do so at breakfast time, the one part of the day that seems a tad innappropriate for caprese (again, I could eat caprese at 8 am...I just shouldn't).

This is the kind of breakfast that only takes 5-10 minutes to make; however, I recommend you take 20.  The extra 10 minutes should be reserved for salting your tomato slices and letting them sit to draw out the water.  I didn't do this because I was in a rush, but it would have made the dish mush better.  Do it while you're drying your hair or something; it's not like you have to stare at them while they're salting.  Another tip: the garlic isn't getting cooked so a little goes a long way.  You WILL taste and breathe the garlic so be prepared.  I used just under half a clove for about 3 oz of cream cheese and it was strong.  Not overpowering, but it was certainly detectable.  If you're planning to make a larger batch of the cream cheese to use throughout the week, just remember that as the garlic sits the flavor will become stronger so adjust accordingly.

If you're a bagel and cream cheese person, this is a great alternative that will will satisfy you without weighing you down.  Bagels are usually too heavy for me during the week.  If you're a big fan of Italian food, the main flavors here are tomato, basil, and garlic so I guarantee you'll be happy.    

  

Snickity Snack: Avocado White Bean Dip

This might be the healthiest snack you can make and still be satisfied.  It tastes so good but it's one of those things where you're practically burning more calories by chewing than you're ingesting.

Just combine avocado and drained white beans in a food processor with olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes to taste.  The whole burning more calories than you're taking in is a slight stretch, but this is still super duper healthy.  Everyone says avocado "is good fat!  good fat!" and white beans have plenty of protein so you're chillin in a pretty healthy place, especially if you just dip veggies like I did.  (When I told my Mom about this recipe she said pita chips would be great but less healthy - I leave the choice up to you.  You are your own boss.)

The avocado provides a rich, velvety flavor while the white beans get the texture up to snuff for a good dip.  The red pepper flakes are necessary for dimension - this is what keeps it from tasting like mush.

Tip: prep your veggies in advance.  If you're already shaving two carrots for snack number one, might as well shave the whole bunch so you have a fridge full of ready to eat veggies for the week.  You might eat all of this avocado white bean dip in one sitting (like I did), but then you can rip into a tub of hummus and you'll have the veggies already ready to go.  It'll keep you from reaching for the chips.

Union Square Pavilion

When my Mom visits we like to just...walk.  We don't usually make a strict plan ahead of time and we stop whenever we see something interesting, whether that's a restaurant or boutique.  On the first day of her vistit we made "village" our general destination.  We didn't even specify East or West so we started by walking from my apartment to Union Square, which is right in between the two.  It's also a great place to start because it is a bustle of activity with the market vendors proudly displaying everything from flowers to maple candy.  We thought we would stroll around the green market and then forge our way further downtown for lunch, but then we realized the best option was to make the green market, itself, our lunch.

It took years, but the renovation of the eponymous square was finally completed and the central restaurant, Union Square Pavilion opened in May.  The menu is constructed around the best the green market has to offer, so you can expect lots of fresh veggies.  That's exactly what we were in the mood for so we made sure our orders were farm fresh.  My mom went with the goat cheese and tomato tart (with lavendar - so fragrant and lovely...reminds me to buy a new sachet for my underwear drawer - is that TMI?) and I ordered the kale salad with salmon.  I also think everything tasted better because of the pavilion's open walls.  Your salad is bound to taste delicious when you can see the market stall that provided the lettuce.  You're somehow both inside the safe walls of the square while also being out in the open.  My Mom commented that it looked just like the places featured in rom coms where the two friends meet for lunch to talk about how frustrating boys can be.  That means we felt like celebs while we were dining.

Avocado and Egg Breakfast Pizza

This avocado and egg pita is one of my earlier Pinterest pins.  Somehow, however, I never got around to making it which is crazy because it's easy enough to throw together in the middle of the harried getting-ready-for-work dance.  I like to toast or warm my pita a bit first.  Then, while the egg fries, it's just a matter of mashing the pita on top with a fork (leave some chunks), perhaps with a bit of crushed red pepper if that's your jam.

So.  Freakin.  Satisfying.

 

Snickity Snack: Pita with Yogurt and Radishes

If I'm just snacking, I like to use pita bread (instead of flatbread because this is healthier, especially if you use whole wheat pita) to make a little open faced sandwich.  When you split the pita in half (basically, just take the hole and open it further til you have two rounds) it's just filling enough to keep you from gnawing your arm off but not so filling that it'll ruin your supper.

Once I halve my thin pita, I drizzle it with olive oil.  Side note: do you notice how I'm talking like I've made this snack oh so many times?  Well I haven't.  I just made it up.  I thought I could pull a fast one on you but then I felt guilty.  Anyway, after it has the oil drizzle, I put it in the oven for a couple minutes to crisp it up a bit.  Once it's out of the oven, I top it with Greek yogurt, sliced radishes, and sea salt.  It's kind of a new take on the whole radishes with butter and salt thing just far more satisfying thanks to a wee bit of carbs.  It's just way healthier.  Like 40 total calories or something crazy like that.

Goat Cheese Toast with Peas and Eggs

Sometimes having a power breakfast on a weekday makes you feel, well, powerful.  I was in the mood to let out my inner Superman so I adapted this goat cheese and egg toast with peas last week.  I used a scrambled egg instead of a fried one because I didn't want to have to deal with a knife and fork.  Though the recipe says to use two if you're scrambling, I found one to be sufficient.  My other change was to use chives instead of dill.  Fresh herbs of any kind would be good here, but I happened to already have chives in the fridge.  Plus, I always liked my Grandma's onion egg dish (basically egg salad with fine onion) and the chives lent a similar flavor to the dish.

This whole breakfast only took about 7 minutes [max] to put together so power up in the mornings, my friends.

Corn Salad with Cheddar and Tomato

I keep seeing recipes for corn on the cob that's been grilled and topped with fun ingredients like seasoned butter, mayo, and cotija cheese.  Such a fun summer treat, right?  Well here's the problem with that: I live in NYC so it is significantly more difficult to find a grill to make a recipe like this.  Also, as much as it's a common street fair item, I don't really want to pick corn kernals out of my teeth in front of a bunch of people, nor do I find a giant corn on the cob conducive to eating while walking.

This salad is the perfect solution, especially when made with extra sharp white cheddar as I chose to do.  When the corn is paired with other bright flavors like fresh tomato, lemon, and chives it feels very summer-y.  And since it's served room temp (instead of hot like those street fair cobs) I think it almost feels more like a summer dish.  When it's blazing hot outside I don't need hot veggies, I want cool cool cool.  This is also a great dish to prep in advance so it was perfect to bring to my book club.

Seasonal Tastes: May 2014 - Asparagus with Bell Pepper and Manchego

Finally!  The weather has changed and that means there is new produce in season.  Asparagus is a great veggie to use right now.  You'll probably see it everywhere this month from soups to pastas.  I find that when something is in season, it requires very little fuss to turn it into a great dish.  In this recipe for asparagus with bell pepper and manchego, you'll just use four ingredients with almost no prep but you'll turn out a side dish with a Spanish touch.  Try to use smoked paprika if you can.  I used the regular stuff and it just wasn't the same.  It was still delicious because, manchego.

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

I'm working very hard to start eating breakfast in the morning.  Usually that means a croissant or an english muffin with cheese...maybe some sort of egg dish on the weekend.  But last week I set my sights on a quinoa breakfast bowl; and on a weekday, no less.  I know, it seems aggressive.  I, too, thought it was a bit much to tackle before work until I realized the quinoa could be cooked the night before.  Once you factor in that the main ingredient is cooked, this breakfast of champions seems far more doable.

After reheating the quinoa in the microwave, I topped it with some avocado and smoked salmon.  Finally, I got the egg ready.  You can do a fried egg here, but I personally prefer poached because it's quick, easier to clean up, and I discovered the most amazing trick.  Eggs can be poached in the microwave.  I KNOW.  I found this nearly impossible to believe, but Bon Appétit said it works, and they're pretty legit.  Just fill a 1-cup glass/pyrex measuring cup with 1/2 cup water (you can improvise with the type of cup you use - I found this the easiest because of the handy dandy measuring lines).  Carefully crack an egg into the water, making sure it’s totally covered by the water, and then cover the cup with a plate and microwave on high for about 1 minute.  You may need more/less time to ensure firm whites and runny yolks. Then just use a slotted spoon to place your perfectly poached egg atop your quinoa bowl.  All you need is a little salt and pepper and you're good to go.  Don't even try to tell me that a breakfast like this won't kick your day into high gear.

Yogurt with Banana Chips

After going on a run this morning I desperately needed some breakfast to replenish all the energy I had just exerted. I went with yogurt because it is just about the easiest thing to eat. I tried to mix it up by using cultured coconut milk but if I'm being honest I didn't taste much of difference from regular yogurt. That meant it was a slight disappointment for me but a huge win for lactose intolerant folks. What did make my yogurt a little different was my use of banana chips as a topping. It gives you the crunch you normally achieve with granola but with a whole new flavor. Just crush them up a bit and sprinkle atop your favorite yogurt and you've got yourself a quick and easy breakfast. 

Snickity Snack: Endive Dippers

After my curried yogurt with beet and sweet potato chip post, I decided there was a hole in my food blogging.  I post big dishes all the time but I rarely ever write about snacks.  We all indulge in 'tween the meal munching but there's usually little variation.  I, myself, am partial to white cheddar Pirate's Booty or Trader Joe's herb popcorn.  Eating the same thing all the time gets boring and that's a problem because the moment you get bored you stop being satisfied.  That means you'll go through the entire family size bag of Pirate's Booty before your craving is curbed.  I'm not assuming that will happen.  It actually has happened...to me...last week.  That's why I'm introducing a new monthly feature: Snickity Snack.  Every month I'll show you a new snack to mix up your snacking routine.

The first installment of this feature is what I like to call endive dippers.  Endive lettuce leaves are perfect little boats that are firm enough at the core to hold just about anything you want to throw in there.  They are the Fritos or Tostitos Soops of the vegetable world.  I like dipping them in hummus (shown here is Trader Joe's edamame hummus one of my two faves - the other is Whole Foods' jalapeno hummus).  After scooping up some dip, I add a few pistachios for extra crunch.  This is the type of snack that will keep you fully satisfied between meals without an iota of guilt.

Beet and Sweet Potato Chips with Curried Yogurt

I've been in a snack rut lately. Every time I reach for something to munch on between meals I've ended up with popcorn or hummus. I wanted something new so I did some googling and found a list of quick and healthy snacks on realsimple.com and found this winner. 

Just mix fat free Greek yogurt with curry powder and salt.  That night be the easiest dip you'll ever prepare, FYI. If you're not into curry just use a spice you prefer, like smoked paprika. You could also use fresh herbs, like dill. Anything goes here, as long as it takes less than one minute to stir into the yogurt. Anything longer than that would have me going back to my old old standby, popcorn. I used Terra sweet potato and beet chips as my dippers. The crunch satisfied my snack craving but the slightly sweet flavor was completely different from what it been snacking on lately. 

Consider my rut over. 

Greek Salad Skewers

I remembered on Monday night that I had book club on Tuesday.  (That's the day after in case you've been working the kind of hours I have resulting in days that bleed together.)  I was right near Whole Foods so I cruised Pinterest for an easy appetizer while I walked to the store.  I found this pic for mini Greek salad skewers and loved that it was so simple I didn't even need to look at a recipe.  I bought all the ingredients and set my alarm 15 minutes early so I had time to assemble the dish before work.

The night before, I was telling my Mom about my brilliant app idea and she questioned how I would skewer the feta without it crumbling.  "Ugh, Mooom.  Clearly it works if you use good feta.  How else would they have a picture of it?"  Can you guess what happened next?  My Mom was right.  As usual.

No matter.  The toothpicks I was using were a bit tiny anyway so I just skewered the tomatoes, cucumbers, and pitted kalamata olives.  Then I crumbled some feta on top.  I figure when people pick up their toothpicks there will inevitably be some feta clinging on.  If I was doing this at home and presenting on a large platter, one update I would probably make would be to drizzle the skewers with some olive oil and sprinkle a few crushed red pepper flakes over the top.  I only remembered to snap a pic after they were almost all gone and had been sitting out for a while, pooling in their own juices.  It's not the most appetizing shot, but it's better than nothing.

Victory Garden

Sometimes you taste something that doesn't belong...but you like it anyway.  That's what happened to me when I tried the frozen yogurt at Victory Garden.  It's fro yo that's made with goat milk.  The inevitable first question is whether or not it tastes like goat cheese.  It actually does.  It has all the tang of goat cheese that kind of makes the sides of your tongue curly upwards like the whale in Free Willy, but it's sweet.  

Using goat milk supposedly makes this yogurt a little healthier.  And as is bound to happen when someone waves the healthy wand over something that's supposed to be bad for you, something has to give.  For me, that something was the toppings, which seemed a little off the deep end - vegan fudge is an option, you know?  The goat milk flavor is unique enough that it doesn't need much.  Maybe a little granola or something non-vegan and you're all set.